Tarot readers use a system to identify a card associated with your date of birth. This card provides valuable insight into your life events, life lessons, reoccurring themes and your personality. They can also identify a shadow card this card represents the life challenges and obstacles you face as well as shadow characteristics you have. Finally, Tarot readers can use a similar system to find your year card, this card does the same basic thing as the birth card but for the specific year in question only. Year cards can also have shadow cards attached them. Not just people have birth, shadow and year cards anything with an anniversary can have one, so that includes businesses, relationships, projects, buildings….even countries. I thought a great way to illustrate this concept would be to take a look at the Birth card for the USA.
Birth card – The Hierophant
This card reflects very accurately the energies surrounding the birth of the United States of America. This country was born out of a rebellion and a rejection of the established traditions and authority of Great Britain. The Hierophant is very much about established tradition and authority. It is also related to religion and religious authority. The Puritans left England to escape religious persecution and established the first colony in what would be America. So clearly the Hierophant’s energies and the rejection of those energies played a strong role in the establishment of the USA.
2020 Year Card – The Lovers
This card represents a moral or ethical choice. With the 2020 election coming up there is a strong collective energy of making a difficult ethical choice. There is also a similar energy related to the covid pandemic, we are constantly facing high stakes choices about how to navigate this crisis both personally and collectively. It is no doubt that often these choices have been about ethics as they involve putting other people’s wellbeing above our own in many cases. The Lovers can also represent authentic communication which comes from the higher self or the Divine. At a time when social media has eroded our ability to recognize truth we deeply need The Lovers energy. In a world so polarized The Lovers call for us to unify and put an end to seeing the other as enemy.
2020 Shadow Card – The Devil
The shadow of The Devil is also a very accurate shadow for the year 2020. Often when people are making unhealthy choices this year it is about the desire to cling to a way of life and material comforts that we don’t want to let go of. If we try to live life as normal and ignore the pandemic or other difficult changes in our world we are experiencing the energy of The Devil. If we feel tempted to take action that will be self serving at the expense of others we are also embodying The Devil. At a collective level the polarization in this country is a societal Devil energy. The violence against people of color is definitely related to this card. Just as the fight against systemic racism is an attempt to break free of this Devil energy. On an astrological level Capricorn has played a major role in the events and challenges of 2020 and in Tarot The Devil represents the sign of Capricorn.
As you can see looking at your birth cards and year cards and their shadow cards can give you a powerful and accurate reading on lifelong themes as well as annual events and experiences.
Next time you book a reading consider asking for a birth card or year card analysis as a part of your reading. This analysis will provide you with much insight into life themes, lessons and your personal nature that will really enhance your reading and your self awareness. A year card analysis can add an extra layer of wisdom to circumstances in your life during the calendar year for which you are asking a question about. Please note that this will take about 30 minutes so plan to purchase the extra time if you wish to add this to your session. Thank you!